The 10 Best Speed Exercises for Athletes

Improving speed should be a goal for every athlete. No matter what sport you play, being faster than your opponent can be the difference between winning and losing a championship. With that in mind, I've assembled a list of the 10 best speed exercises that will leave your rivals in the dust.

Although these are the best exercises for improving speed, they should not be the only exercises that you do. Be sure to have a total-body strength and conditioning program in place, as well as proper nutrition and recovery protocols, to maximize your results.

Improving speed should be a goal for every athlete. No matter what sport you play, being faster than your opponent can be the difference between winning and losing a championship. With that in mind, I've assembled a list of the 10 best speed exercises that will leave your rivals in the dust.

Although these are the best exercises for improving speed, they should not be the only exercises that you do. Be sure to have a total-body strength and conditioning program in place, as well as proper nutrition and recovery protocols, to maximize your results.

1. Power Clean or Clean Pull

To be fast, you need to be powerful. A good way to build power is by training the Power Clean (or any Olympic lift variation).

Starting with your feet hip-width apart, grab the bar with an overhand grip.

If you cannot perform a clean correctly, replace it with a Clean Pull. A Clean Pull is a clean performed without catapulting the bar onto the shoulders (think Explosive Deadlift).

2. Squat

The Squat is one of the best exercises no matter what your goal is in the gym, so it's an obvious pick for being one of the best for improving speed. There are many squat variations that are excellent choices. We will focus on the Barbell Back Squat.

Grab the bar with a grip that's comfortable for your shoulders.

Unrack the weight, brace your abs and push your hips back to descend into the squat position.

Keep your knees in line with your toes, chest up and back flat as you push through your heels to stand up.

3. Deadlift

Like the Squat, the Deadlift is a clear choice for this list because it increases the amount of force you can put into the ground. You can use both a trap bar or a barbell for this move.

With your feet about hip-width apart, grasp the barbell with an overhand or over/under grip outside your knees. If you're using a trap bar, utilize a neutral grip.

Keep your chest up and back straight as you pull the bar off the floor by fully extending your hips.

Keep the bar close to your body throughout the lift.

4. Sled Push/Sprint

Incorporating sled work into your program is a great way to build strength and speed for sprinting. It's especially valuable for accelerations because of the forward body angle. I recommend doing both heavy Sled Pushes and lighter Sled Sprints.

For a heavy push, load a sled with a weight that's challenging to push for 10 to 20 yards.

5. Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat

Many athletic movements take place on one leg, including sprinting, so it's a good idea to utilize single-leg exercises in your training. There are a ton of single-leg exercises to choose from, but my particular favorite is the Rear-Foot-Elevated Split Squat.

With dumbbells at your sides and your back foot elevated on a bench, squat while keeping a straight back and tall chest.

Push through your heel to extend your front knee and hip back to the starting position.

6. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

The Single-Leg RDL is another great single-leg movement, but it focuses on your hamstrings and glutes, or your "go" muscles.

Hold two dumbbells or kettlebells in front of you, and balance on one leg.

Slightly bend the knee of the balancing leg and begin to push your hips back toward the wall behind you.

Be sure to maintain a flat back position as the dumbbells reach knee/shin level.

Extend your hips to go back to the starting position.

7. Broad Jump

No list of the best exercises for improving speed would be complete without some plyometrics. This move teaches your muscles to contract explosively, an essential trait of speed.

Set yourself up with feet hip-width apart.

Perform a quick counter movement by pushing your hips back to the wall.

Danny Takacs
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Danny Takacs is a strength and conditioning coach in Cincinnati, Ohio. He holds a master's degree in Exercise Science: Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention. He's also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a Performance
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